The Perils and Pleasures of Online Connection

A Deep Dive into the "Romance Scams" Twitter Space: Navigating Digital Deception and Personal NarrativesOn September 3, 2022, a Twitter Space titled "Romance Scams" took place, running for over 10 hours. Hosted by Alberto Daniel Hill (@ADanielHill), with KingBurrito (@trombelise) as a co-host, the conversation, initially sparked by a lighthearted discussion about bananas, quickly evolved into a complex exploration of digital deception, personal identity, and the dynamics of online interaction.The Early Banter and Initial TopicsThe space opened with a playful discussion around bananas, revealing participants' fondness for the fruit. Ali, a co-host, confessed to being late because she was "eating a banana". Sam (@Samco__samco) declared, "I live on bananas," to which Ali advised against an exclusive banana diet, drawing a parallel to her past "living on pizza" experience. The whimsical idea was even floated that the space was "only for banana lovers". A speaker named DC (@DCx7C5) was noted for disliking bananas.The conversation then quickly pivoted towards more serious topics:• Dad's Mission: A speaker, affectionately called "Dad," shared his morning activities, including wrapping up storage and making a significant "change" aimed at preventing people from being victimized on the internet or in real life. He stated his intention to confront a federal attorney who had been victimizing a woman and to deposit his daughter's "good money" paycheck. He later returned to discuss Bitcoin layer 2 technology as an alternative for NFTs, advising to "stay away from Ethereum" for that purpose.• Stacy's Observations and Questions: Stacy (@staceski12), another speaker, initially promised to remain in the space. She expressed the importance of self-care, even jokingly suggesting "eating pizza or banana" as a form of help. She closely observed the shifting dynamics of the conversation, particularly Ali's differing self-presentations. Stacy also touched upon the concept of social engineering, acknowledging that she herself inadvertently uses it in her job to gather information from patients, likening it to a form of "engineering" for diagnosis and treatment. She highlighted that Alberto only responds in Spanish if addressed first in that language.• Samantha's Unfinished Story and "Brian": Samantha (@dorkingbeauty1) brought up a personal, complicated situation involving a "gift from Brian" and expressed a desire to "put it to bed". She noted a disturbing pattern of men named Brian being involved in romance scams. She believes the story is "complicated" and not just about "some closes".Unpacking Romance Scams and Digital DeceptionThe discussion on romance scams became a central theme, with Alberto sharing insights from official sources:• Warning Signs of Scammers: Alberto read from a Department of Justice Office of the Attorney General of New Hampshire document titled "Alert the warning of Romance scams". Key signs include: ◦ Providing too much personal information too soon. ◦ Quickly trying to lure you off dating websites or social media to communicate via text, email, or instant messages. ◦ Having poor spelling or grammar. ◦ Making excuses for why they cannot meet in person. ◦ Asking to send gift cards, cell phones, or cryptocurrencies. ◦ Claiming to have millions of dollars but only being able to access funds if you first provide them money or property.• Preventive Measures: To avoid falling victim, Alberto advised: ◦ Limiting publicly provided information on social media. ◦ Ceasing contact immediately if a romance scam is suspected. ◦ Refusing to send money or personal information to individuals spoken to online but not met in person. ◦ Not clicking any links sent online.

In the twitter space recording, a unique and vulnerable interaction unfolds, primarily between Alberto Daniel Hill, Rebel One, and Kim Burrito. The conversation shifts from general topics to a deeply personal "master class on seduction for men, dumb men," as Alberto humorously frames it, revealing his struggles with social interaction, particularly with women.Rebel One's Advice and Alberto's ReceptionWhen prompted by Alberto, Rebel One offers straightforward advice on how to approach women: one should be "a little bit confident, nice, polite, and funny". She emphasizes the importance of being "more confident and more open and approachable".Alberto's immediate reception of this advice highlights his self-perceived difficulties. He acknowledges Rebel One's points but quickly states, "she knows about how I lack of completely of social skills and I'm having so much trouble when it comes to talking to women". When Rebel One suggests being "nice" is easy, Alberto retorts with a significant statement: "Yeah, but I'm not nice. That's the problem. I have to fake it". He describes himself as "paralyzing" and "freaking out" when complimented, explicitly stating, "I'm not kind. I'm not confident. I'm freaking out". He then seeks reassurance from Kim Burrito, asking, "Do you think I can do it? Do you have confidence in me that I can do it?"

Twitter Spaces: Krypto POKER

This Twitter Space recording, hosted by Alberto Daniel Hill, delves into a discussion about a project called "Kryptopoker" seeking support from members of the cybersecurity community. The conversation highlights various interactions, personal philosophies, and insights into the psychological profiles, credibility, and trust of the participants.

Participants and Their Profiles:• Alberto Daniel Hill: The host of the space. Alberto identifies as a "hacker" and is even noted by Shady as having been "prisoned for being a hacker," possibly a world record. He prefers to classify hackers as "good hackers" or "criminals" rather than by "hat" colors, implying a focus on ethical conduct. Alberto is presented as mysterious and enigmatic, someone who "talks a lot but yet he tells you nothing about himself," a trait he cultivates to "create a lot of curiosity". Despite this, he is direct and sarcastic in his communication. He strongly believes in taking action against perceived wrongs, even if there's a personal cost, and is open to changing his mind if proven wrong. Alberto is also involved in Web3, supporting "decentralization" and "control in the hands of everyone". He has a significant online presence, with a "much bigger platform" on Twitter than others. He is developing his own NFT collection, "Berty the hacker," and is an affiliate of Unstoppable Domains.• K (also referred to as "King Burrito" or "Kim Burrito"): K is a female participant, though her profile is presented as a "brand". She is a co-host in Alberto's spaces. K explicitly identifies as autistic (though she notes she wasn't formally diagnosed until recently) and discusses her struggles with in-person social interaction, including "facial anxiety" and "stemming" (humming). She finds Twitter spaces appealing as they eliminate the need to "see humans". K describes herself as someone who "talks a lot" but may not "say a lot," and struggles with focus, memory, and task initiation, attributing this to her mental health. She admits to being "very susceptible to subliminal messages" and "manipulated very easily". K is concerned about online privacy and data use on social media platforms, and tends to "assume that people are acting in good faith". She also sees herself as a "social media influencer".• Shady: An individual deeply involved in Web3 as a "Twitter intern," running multiple project accounts and creating content. Shady identifies as a "content creator" and "artist," with a passion for Web3 and NFTs, considering it his main source of income and a "zone" where he thrives. He is a polyglot, speaking Tagalog, Polish, and some German. Shady also identifies as autistic (ASD diagnosed) and shares experiences consistent with ADHD, such as "facial anxiety," talking over others, struggling with "switching" tasks, and having intrusive thoughts related to "harm OCD". He is aware of his tendency to "oversp speak" but finds his community supportive, sending DMs rather than kicking him out. Shady expresses a dislike for British people in Twitter spaces, preferring to interact with diverse individuals.• Queen: Described by Alberto as having "priceless" knowledge in NFTs, knowing "all the tricks, all the scams, all the good practices". She is asked by Alberto to teach masterclasses on NFTs, indicating her high credibility and expertise in the field. Queen has a professional-looking website and speaks Spanish fluently.• Fabian: A friend of Alberto's, ranked third in his "circle of friends" on Twitter. Fabian is a painter who recently resumed his artistic endeavors after personal issues and is participating in a contest. He speaks both Spanish and English.•

The "Kryptopoker" project is introduced by an unnamed individual, who Queen (and later Alberto) refer to. The project is described as:• An online poker game where players earn by playing, rather than paying to play, through tournaments sponsored by NFTs or cash.